First UAE student-built satellite prepares for lift-off

Final preparations are underway for the launch of the UAE's MeznSat satellite later today.

A Russian Soyuz rocket is due to blast it into orbit at 3.20 pm from the Plesetsk space centre in northwestern Russia.

The nation's first student-built satellite will monitor the coastal waters of the Arabian Gulf.

It will also boost space-related activities while studying greenhouse gases, climate change and the red tide phenomenon in the UAE.

The satellite is the result of a collaboration between the UAE Space Agency, American University of Ras Al Khaimah and Khalifa University of Science and Technology.

Once in orbit, teams of students from both universities will monitor, process and analyse the data.

It's another step forward for the UAE's position in the sector and aims to provide the industry with trained graduates who have gained hands-on experience.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was briefed on the new 2021-2031 strategy of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre over the weekend.

The UAE plans to send the first Arab mission to the Moon by 2024.